TRON: ADDITIONAL MATERIAL PART 2: The Novel

TRON: ADDITIONAL MATERIAL PART 2: The Novel

The TRON Novelization by Brian Daley contains more peripheral information which is not in the film, which may interest a lot of fans. Most often novelizations are written before the movie comes out, and the author doesn't write it while watching the movie. He is given scripts, and other story details from the producers. Many of the details the author is given do not end up in the finished film. What we are left with are additional story details which, if you are a fan, you may find rather interesting.

Alan Bradley pops popcorn in his Encom office cubicle, and he is described as messy; "as he had little time or inclination for housekeeping." The sign in his cubicle "Gort, Klaatu Barada Nikto" is described as being there as it reveals his attitude about Artificial Intelligence. The phrase comes from the movie, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, and is a voice command for the robot named Gort. Alan's User code is 717, but he is unable to type his password (given in the script as "FREEDOM.") when he is locked out of the system.

The novel introduces the type of characters we are to sympathize with, one of the protagonists as "a User-Believer, a BLUE. Unwilling to give up his commitment to those mystical beings whom all the programs of the System had once served." The character, CROM wonders about the RED antogonists, "Their attitude was

beyond comprehension--a refusal to even concede the existence of the Users. How could that be? He kept repeating to himself." CROM couldn't understand "what the point of functioning could be, if not to carry out the instructions of the Users."

CROM MEETS TRON

As in the script, CROM meets TRON inside the 'Training Complex' prison cell. CROM has already heard of TRON, and he can't believe TRON has been caught by the MCP.

"Tron is a legend come to life. When programs throughout the system spoke among themselves of independence, of loyalty to the Users, of defying the MCP, it was TRON's name that was most often invoked. TRON championed the User-Believers; TRON had defied all the MCP's efforts to enslave or convert him."

CROM is shocked to find TRON inside the cell, but TRON's conviction to escape raises CROM's hopes again. "Sark and the MCP didn't control the System...yet."

Bruce Boxleitner has often related TRON to the movie SPARTACUS, and having just recently watched it for the very first time ever, (shocking, I know) I can see the similarities, and while being a lot simpler in its plot and scale than the 3-Hour, "cast of thousands" epic that SPARTACUS truly is, TRON does in fact share the same qualities of the character of Kirk Douglas' Spartacus. There are many scenes which though highly simplified are most certainly inspired by SPARTACUS. The 'slaves' are captured and forced to fight eachother for the amusement of the Romans, and the various characters hope to break free of this tyranny and perhaps take Rome, and free the slaves, but they do not succeed. Spartacus becomes a legendary hero of the slaves, and as described at least in the book, it is the very same idea, TRON is a legendary hero that the enslaved programs look up to. In TRON, however, the character does in fact succeed in freeing the system...

TRON's thoughts are described while in the prison cell: "...and he had thought, often, of the one he missed most, of she who meant everything to him. Not freedom, not [even] survival meant more than seeing Yori once more. At times it seemed his faith had come near failure. What was the point of it, what did it matter? MCP promised to take over the System without any real opposition but Tron's. Why hadn't the Users intervened? But then TRON knew, they had--he was their instrument. But the cause to set things right and restore order and purpose and safety to the System, seemed lost. Instead there would be the dictatorship of the MCP and the savage spectacles of the beast Sark. But as always, another thought surfaced. Why would Sark and the MCP be so determined to stamp out loyalty to the Users if that loyalty didn't threaten them? The Command Program and the MCP were the fanatics, not the User-Believers; their brutal efforts to suppress belief in the Users only served to confirm convictions vital to TRON. As they increased their oppression, so they reinforced his faith."

When the tyrants build lists of 'opponents' who they want snuffed out, you know then it is because they fear them as a threat to their power and tyranny, not as a threat to the 'safety and order' of the system...

CLU ponders the state of the System being dominated by the MCP in the book as well, "For CLU, as for many other programs still at large in the System, there was no question as to whether or not he should respond to his User. What point was there to program tyrannizing program [program vs. program], rejecting the Users? And certainly there hadn't before the MCP been the sort of cruelty and hatred that threatened the System now. If CLU had his way all that would change..."

Flynn also ponders the tyranny of the MCP, "Even here, he thought, the old, old evil: surrender your beliefs or surrender your life."

While at the plasma-pool, drinking the 'pure energy,' Flynn realizes another strategy of tyrants, "Of course, Flynn thought, the Master Control Program would certainly have governance over all the conventional power sources or outlets. Lower the programs' power and you keep them lethargic, dependent, obedient. But here in this ignored area, this trickle still ran unmonitored. Flynn pondered what it must be like for RAM and TRON; no doubt the MCP kept User-Believers on pretty light rations." [All too familar eh, ladies and gentlemen?]

Each character expresses their frustration with the lack of freedom, their persecution and the encroaching tyranny of the MCP, they all want things to change, they all want things to be different, and wonder if the 'gods' will come to help them.

ENCOM AND SARK

Dillinger's computer desk in the novel is called a 'Superdesk.' ENCOM is described as "a commercial entity that swallowed other corporations as a shark might swallow minnow, that grew and increased its profits and holdings as no other corporation ever had."

Sark is described as "Lord of the System," the "Command Program," also known as the "Red Champion." His code

number is ES-1117821. Sark sees the MCP as his "deity" as opposed to seeing the User as a deity. Besides "Strategic Air Command," and the Pentagon, other government agencies are named to be hacked by the MCP: DARPA and the DIA. In 1982, this would have meant, 'the internet.' (The only real internet that existed).

RAM regards FLYNN as 'being glitched' because of the way he talks. Also, interestingly, RAM is said to be whistling "an eerie, lilting tune that FLYNN couldn't recognize as any User music." RAM ponders his conversations with TRON, "Their quiet solemn talks were in sharp contrast to the merciless drill and combat of the Game Grid. RAM had come to draw great encouragement from TRON, from his loyalty to the Users. And there was TRON's straightforward reasoning: why indeed, would Sark and the MCP militate so viciously against User-Believers if their beliefs didn't present some threat? When he'd thought it through, RAM had finally decided that the demonstrations of power, the taking of conscripts, were a keystone to Master Control's authority. If MCP and Sark could get programs to deny the existence of the User in contradictions to what the programs knew to be true, what then might they not order programs to do? The entire System, and the power to reshape it, would lie within their grasp."

INOPERATIVE DATA PUSHERS:

When Tron leaves Flynn and Ram on the other side of the crevasse where he thinks they are killed, he proceeds to get to the I/O Tower, where he is on his way to finding Yori. There in the "Factory Complex" he comes across "Programs of all sorts walked there, many of them strangely shaped because of their functions. There was a warrior type not known to TRON. He had an energy lance cradled in the crook of his left arm; his right arm and part of his helmet had been blown away, leaving long trailing streamers of glowing filaments. A little light exchage monitor, outmoded and enclosed in his glassy bulb, passed by. TRON had to step around a segmented connectoid that crawling along like a huge, blind worm, nearly bumped into him. He recognized Cryptarithmetic Priests by their circuited cassocks. But there was little animation to anyone, and no enthusiasm. Tron saw one program speaking to another, and stopped to listen. The program spoke in monotone as the two gazed at one another lifelessly.... Shaking his head sadly, he walked along the streets that had once been ablaze with productivity and drive... On the way, he stopped by two more programs to eavesdrop once more, unsure of how the recent changes might have affected local circumstances..." The programs speak mindless numerical jibberish. Later he finds Yori speaking the same mindless mathematical jargon. "TRON regarded the muddled programs with pity and frustration." FLYNN also runs into more programs of this type when he crashes his Recognizer, "Programs passed by him without taking notice, so drained and numbed that they didn't even glance his way..." "He saw that they were different from the programs of the Game Grid, only in part for their odd shapes and sizes. He almost forgot his landing, watching them go by like sleepwalkers." FLYNN speaks to the BIT, "This town's full of live ones, " the BIT responds, "Not a chance."

"A USER? IN OUR WORLD" --Yori

When FLYNN reveals to TRON and YORI that he's a User, he also has this to say in very Jeff Bridges/the-Dude-style, "Man, I haven't had a second to think since I got down here. I mean, in here... Out here. Whatever."

Flynn later thinks to himself: "Good goin' Bradley! thought Flynn, and laughed. "Awright! Thank God Alan stayed awake at least!" Again they were at a loss, the casual use of Alan-One's name, the easy familiarity of it scandalized TRON." "Meantime, Yori considered what Flynn had just said, asking herself, thank who?"

When FLYNN and YORI are captured by Sark, FLYNN seems to realize that SARK thinks he is CLU, and enjoys carrying on a bit because SARK believes it.

The MCP resides upon the "CPU Mesa." The MCP tells the captured Tower Guardians that "You are participating in the creation of the most powerful program in the history of the System--of all Systems! ...An entity with a will! ...With ambition! A superior form of life!" What seems to be the MCP's ultimate plan is a little clearer, that it hopes to gain more power and information and 'intelligence' to take on the 'Real World.' It's goals are not simply to control the System, but the whole world of the Users.

Once the MCP is destroyed, and YORI, TRON and DUMONT are reunited, the BIT has the last word, "YES!"

TRON thinks to himself, "How wonderful it must be in his world..." and "Thank you, Flynn," Yori sent a silent message upward. "

After destroying the MCP, FLYNN is returned to the real world, and the computer prints out his 'evidence.' In the book is a picture of the printout, showing that Flynn's middle initial is "O." It is also more complex than the printout in the movie. The next scene as in the movie is the top of the Encom building with Kevin Flynn landing in a helecopter. There is no dialog from Alan and Lora about "look official, here comes the boss." They tell Flynn about Dillinger: "Dillinger wants to talk to you; he says it's all a mistake." Flynn shook his head, "Can't; bad for the corporate image."

Lora says, "Hey... you've got an executive board meeting." He slipped them a wink. "This is the executive board meeting."

This is the last of Alan, Lora and Flynn, and the book ends with "High over the System soared the Solar Sailer, cruising above the glittering beauty of the radiant Domains and the phosphorescent tides of the Game Sea. Tron stood on the bridge with his arm around Yori. The Sailer changed transmission beams and came into another tack as the Bit shot past them, playing and cutting figure eights, zipping along next to the graceful Sailer, over a System ablaze, a free System."

Continued in PART 3: YORI AND LORA IN THE NOVEL

TRON: Additional Material Part 1

TRON: ADDITIONAL MATERIAL PART 1

It has been said that movies are never really finished, they merely 'escape.' What we have with TRON is a completed film, unlike a certain science fiction director out there who continually 'fixes' his movies, adding things that were never there in the first place, and hiding the things he cut out, Steven Lisberger has never messed with TRON. It still remains as it was originally. However, many fans like the peripheral details of their favorite movies, deleted scenes, original ideas never used, concepts from artwork never used, and scenes which were written and perhaps never filmed for a variety of reasons. One can look at production photos, art design concepts, read the original script to find such details, and often novelizations give away certain details as the authors of these books are given more material as the film is being made, having no idea what will be cut out or not. For TRON, we have three exterior resources to compile more peripheral information about the story, the script, the novel and production photos which show characters and possible scenes which either never made it into the final film, or perhaps filmed and either cut out before post-production or cut out for other reasons. In a series of articles I will try to examine the "Additional Material" of TRON. In Part 1, we look at the 4th Draft Script, which is available to read on the internet here. In Part 2, we will look at the novel by Brian Daley, in Part 3, we will look at all the extra peripheral details of the character Yori and Lora, and in Part 4, we will look at the combined material from alternate sources such as the DVD special features, promotional clips, and audio versions. If you have any additional information please contact me at yorilives@yahoo.com.

-In the original script, teenagers inside Flynn's arcade are playing the videogame called "Berzerk."

-Sark is described as glowing 'ominously blue.'

-Encom was originally called "ICOM"

-CROM has more to say about TRON in his conversation with RAM: "You ever see that guy in action? Hundred-percent independent. MCP couldn't tell him what to [do] ... " Then Tron appears in the cell next to him, "Oh my User...TRON--they've got you in here?" Tron replies... "Not for long, friend."

-The Bit actually says more than yes and no.

-CLU is described as a 'pirate program' by Sark's guards.

-Alan Bradley was originally "Alan Bailey"

-Accessing 'Tron Program,' Alan's user code is 717, his password is "FREEDOM."

-Alan doesn't refer to his abacus at home, he says "I don't even balance my checkbook on downtime, I've got a Honeywell at home for that."

-Lora digitizes a 'polymer sphere' instead of an orange.

-Once Flynn is digitized and into the 'electronic world' he is called Video Game Unit #18.

-Flynn describes his 'Home Sector' as Paramus (New Jersey) to Ram who tries to figure out what PARAMUS means, "PARAMUS, wonder what those initials stand for...probably Program Assist Routine--well, it sounds like a lovely place."

-the 'Inoperative Data Pushers are referred to as "Low Resolution Programs"

-Tron and Yori find Dumont asleep, and they wake him up, also, he has more to say about the 'interface' with the Users:

"You know, not so long ago, you could've come in here and seen programs lined up all the way back to those doors, waiting for communion with their Users. The building fund was doing well too...but now...(sighs)...this so-called Master Control Program is going around cutting programs off from their natural creators, grabbing all our believers and making them ride around on little motor scooters and shoot things at each other and Weiner knows what all-- oh, it's enough to give you a crisis of faith..."

--the Bit follows along all the way until the end of the movie, and is present when Flynn jumps into the MCP Beam.

--A different end scene which was either cut or not filmed, but also described in the Disney Read-Along-Record, takes place in Alan's office at the end of the film and does not imply that FLYNN takes over the company at the end, but that perhaps Alan and Lora will (the novel also has a slightly different ending than the film) :

634 INT. ALAN'S OFFICE - ALAN AND LORA 634

Bleary but excited, they gaze happily at the information on Alan's

CRT screen as Flynn bursts into the room, waving his printout.

FLYNN

Hey -- you guys

Before he can say anything more, Alan turns to greet him, holding up

a seven-inch computer software FLOPPY DISK in its cardboard sleeve.

ALAN

Flynn! I made it. I worked out some

new codes for Tron, put 'em on a disk,

and -- it's running.

FLYNN

I know, I met him.

Alan and Lora look at him -- the same sort of mystified look he got

from Tron and Yori in the other world. He checks himself.

FLYNN (CONT.)

I mean, I saw it read-up -

hey, look at this.

He shows them the printout. It takes Alan and Lora a few seconds of

reading it to figure out its significance.

ALAN

Your old files -- ?

FLYNN

And Dillinger's instructions to

divert them -- it's all there -

look, even his home phone number,

when he logged on.

ALAN

Oh, that is beautiful. You've got

the goods...

Flynn folds up the printout, puts it in his pocket. Alan and Lora

get up, stretch, start wandering slowly toward the door with him.

FLYNN

You're telling me...

As they talk, CAMERA PANS over to Alan's color CRT SCREEN and HOLDS

on it.

635 CRT SCREEN 635

The lines of printed information that had filled it up wipe off, and

are replaced by a number of shapes very much like the ones in a

typical video game:

A BLUE CYLINDER, poised on a BLUE MESA -- resembling the MCP in the

electronic world. And THREE YELLOW ROCKETS. They move randomly at

first, then converge on the blue figure from three different

directions.

FLYNN (V.0.)

you have any idea how much I can sue these

jokers for?

LORA (V.0.)

Well, just don't forget your old friends

when you're rich and famous.

FLYNN (V.0.)

Are you kidding? You guys'll he running

this joint by then...

ALAN (V.O.)

Your friend Dillinger sure won't...

The yellow rockets all hit the blue mesa at the same time. It

EXPLODES in typical video-game fashion -- radiating lines of blue

SPARKS. The yellow rockets fly away from it and form a vertical

formation, heading together toward the side of the CRT screen as we

HEAR Flynn, Lora, and Alan heading for the door.

FLYNN (V.O.)

Hey, you know anybody who wants to

get hold of some video games... cheap?

LORA (V.O.)

You're getting out of the business?

ALAN (V.O.)

Shouldn't you wait till your

lawsuit's settled?

FLYNN (V.0.)

Nah...I decided...I've had enough of

video games to last me a good long

time. I feel like gettin' into some

real life...

at the SOUND of the DOOR to Alan's office closing O.S., the three

yellow rockets leave the CRT screen, sailing off its left-hand edge.

HOLD a moment on the exploded blue figure and

BLACK OUT.

TRON: THE NEXT LEVEL

TRON: THE NEXT LEVEL

If they were to make a "Tron 3" what would it be? If one looks at the differences between the first movie and TRON LEGACY, it appears very similar, and yet within the story is a different 'computer world' than the first. The idea one presumes is that in TRON LEGACY, it is a more advanced 'Grid,' with some kind of 'higher definition,' and something which resembles the first one, but is more evolved. The first was something of an idea which is a kind of 'interpretation' of a computerized 'world,' one which is supposed to be literally 'inside' the computer, and at the time was conceived from technology that existed at the time, while in a way predicting something yet to come. Perhaps in a "Tron 3" things will be even more different...

The world inside the computer of TRON LEGACY is similar, yet different, it is a world which has more 'definition' in the sense of the evolution of video game graphics, it is more detailed visually, and a little more complex. However, the 'technology' of the Grid has evolved as well. For instance, there is an added dimension of visual data interaction, the characters are using more complex in-the-Grid technology. The 'buttons' so-to-speak have evolved. The visual construction of the computer-world has caught up with our most advanced video game graphics, and has surpassed our current personal computer technology, as it was in the first film. What we see in TRON LEGACY are representations of computer technology that we don't quite have just yet, and while they look familiar in the sense of 'science fiction' futuristic movies we have seen before it, such as "Minority Report" or "Star Trek" they are actually quite a bit more advanced than such films. They are also actually a little more realistic in the sense of what is actually currently being developed and what computer engineers are trying to literally create. (They may not have any idea of how to package or sell these things yet, but they are indeed working on such things.) TRON LEGACY actually does imagine technology in much the same way as the first film in that it begins to reach outside the boundaries of our time and reality. What we see in TRON LEGACY are some concepts which, when we look back at the first movie, are somewhat baffling and impossible, or impractical, in the comprehension of the average person as well as the contemporary computer engineer. The first movie while inspiring many people, also made a lot people scoff at some of its concepts. TRON LEGACY contains some similar 'futuristic' concepts in much the same way. When we look back at the first film, we can see where certain things simply feel archaic, or dated, or completely amiss in terms of the kind of computer technology we actually did end up with in due time.

Rather than wait 25 years to make another TRON movie, we can actually try to imagine further what would be yet another new level of what TRON could be. The rate of technological advancement is increasing exponentially, and while we do not yet have touch-screen technology everywhere with holographic displays, what another TRON film should probably attempt to do is surpass LEGACY and take it to yet another level far beyond it. While most people are probably expecting another sequel to be pretty much in the same 'world,' and they will be seeing that in TRON UPRISING, perhaps we should push the imagination even further, taking a TRON 3 to yet another level in technological speculation. If TRON LEGACY was 'far out,' then TRON 3 should be even further out, and potentially so far out that it begins to move into a technological visual look that increases in complexity way beyond the 'Microsoft 2019' concept design, and way beyond something that might be imagined as " iPad 6" technology or something like that. While people are still playing with the look and feel, and the technological ideas of TRON LEGACY right now, the outfits, the level of design that is categorically "TRON LEGACY" and recognized as such, a TRON 3 should absolutely take it to a whole new level.

They may not, because often in movies and sequels, filmmakers forget, or are unconcerned with such details, or will be banking on the popularity of the designs of TRON LEGACY, and for all we know we will get a world that looks exactly the same, though if we were to follow the pattern, or the formula, we should definitely move the world of TRON to yet a more complex level, and mind blowing. But, what in the world would that really be? The complexity of such things can flutter the imagination, but would filmmakers really be that interested in taking it further? Do they have the money, the time, the technology to do it? TRON LEGACY proved that like the first TRON, the effort put into the electronic world can be costly, time-consuming, but in both cases, have an incredible result.

In 1982 computers were bulky objects, and not everyone had them, today, people have pocket sized objects like the iPad which have no buttons whatsoever. People are beginning to get used to the way in which interaction with their computers are by moving their fingers around the screen, interacting in ways that back in 1982 were totally science fiction. Dillinger's touchscreen desk computer (like a giant iPad) was imagined but it took 25 years for them to release this technology in the mass market. In TRON LEGACY, inside the Grid, the programs can manipulate multi-leveled icons, and their 'Identity Discs' produce holographic displays which at this point, the average consumer does not have. What is being currently developed is not fully imagined in the sense of 'marketing' therefore nobody knows when or just how such technology will end up in the hands of the average person. The iPad interaction would make way for more complex interactions with the screen or monitor, and beyond this are technologies which do provide the possibility for what is seen in the "Identity Disc" holographic displays, however they are bulky, and not entirely developed for such interactions.

In the original TRON, the metaphorical world of the computer suggested that some form of computerized society would develop, though it imagined it the way sci-fi usually imagines it, with exceptional exaggerations, and though we essentially did get the world of TRON, we didn't end up with wired cybersuits, and just as 'virtual reality' never really caught on, it's 2012 and nobody is logging on to the internet wearing 'VR GOGGLES,' we see that in it's visual metaphor, TRON showed us in literal ways this kind of world we'd be in, where corporate tyrants steal the intellectual property rights of their exploited employees, and where interaction and programs would be locked down, where our 'digital freedom' would be oppressed, and those who have the skilled use of the technology and understand what is happening must team up to 'free the system' and stop the digital tyrants. The idea in TRON of course was simply the idea of the 'personal computer' being in the hands of the average person, having the freedom to use it how they want to use it, and not be tied to a corporate controlled mainframe, and sign up for computer-time... Later, in TRON LEGACY, these metaphors are re-examined, and now that we have the internet, and things developed how they developed in time, the concepts are a little different. In TRON LEGACY, the programs which were supposed to free us, the stuff of the 'personal computer' are now enslaving us, "TRON" and "CLU" are villains, and ENCOM has gotten away from Flynn and those original ideas from the era of the original TRON. The corporations are 're-purposing' apps and programs, they're using your own computer, your programs, your websites, to spy on you. "Your" P.C. or in today's modern market, your iPad, is no longer your new tool of freedom, but a way for APPLE, MICROSOFT, IBM, GOOGLE, etc to keep tabs on you, to use your personal information, to restrict what you can do with your 'new tools of freedom,' and anything you do with them could make liable with some user-agreement, and they could wind up owning anything you've done with 'their' technology. TRON is no longer a security program which allows free access, he's spying on you, he's part of the control mechanism of CLU. CLU represents the 'technology that got away' from FLYNN, and this time it is much worse, CLU, like some 'evil spirit' of ENCOM is greedy for power, the original concepts of the first TRON return, and 'freedom for the User' is now more important than ever. These kinds of concepts are the contemporary metaphors for our modern world, and a third TRON film, while continuing the story of our characters should still be operating in that same kind of realm of metaphor. It shouldn't just be 'the next episode' of a soap opera, and I would assume that the producers would take all this into account, if they were truly going to proceed with another film.

A Third TRON film might actually look at the 'real world' next time around, and how it is becoming like a TRON WORLD, after all, the character Quorra at the end has made the jump from the digital world into the real world. Perhaps simultaneously, while expressions of the real world are examined as being shockingly parallel to the TRON WORLD, yet another 'GRID' is conceived, one which takes TRON to a level the audience has not yet imagined, a world in which the digital world becomes more organic--while the 'real world' becomes more digital... The science of fractal algorithms and the current study of botanical algorithms is showing us how the plant world is like a technological system, not the whole Earth mind you, not the wind and the rocks and the rain and the bugs, not the way many have described "nature" as being what they call an "ecosystem" but a completely different concept primarily concerning plants. The evolution of "ISOs" in TRON LEGACY might suggest that developing inside computers finally are some sort of mimicry of 'life' and that certain complex activities inside computers show us that what we have built with our technology unwittingly is possibly a mirror universe, entirely based on the real one we live in, and once we see technological or 'digital' versions of these things, we will begin to recognize that these things in the real world are essentially 'technology' already themselves. While humans ignorantly, like children taking apart toys and not knowing how to put them back together, tamper with genetics and genetic engineering, (which if conceived of should have been toyed with inside a computer first, and not the real world---ha ha too late now!) what we are looking at is in fact 'technology' but in a way we still do not fully understand.

Data representations and interactions which surpass TRON LEGACY would likely be swirling fractal configurations, floating before the USER projected by technology, manipulated much like Flynn when he brings up infographic-switches with his hands in the Grid, but in a more comlex fashion, the angles and geometric shapes would rise to complexity, beyond the simplicity of triangles and hexagons into massive complex multidimensional configurations currently unfamiliar to the average person. The world itself might even be a conflict of complexity vs. the old Grid of geometric 'perfection' and simple shapes. The New Complexity is seen as CHAOS by the old Grid, and perhaps the Dillingers and CLUs of this New Grid would once again attempt to control it. Ultimately, this is actually where our complex digital technology is taking us, and the question is where might TRON fit into all of this. The answer could be right in the center of it all, since it seems to be one of the only cultural metaphors operating in the realm of 'what's really around the corner' and 'how does it affect us.' A new TRON film could take a conventional approach and ignore what its origins are, and simply continue the story without taking it up another level, we could get basically TRON LEGACY 2: REVENGE OF QUORRA or something like that, or if the filmmakers are linked in with what's really going on with technology and want to take it on, TRON THE NEXT LEVEL could be constructed to blow our minds...if they choose to. TRON UPRISING will give people more of the LEGACY world as they want it, so why not take TRON 3 to another level? At the rate technology is advancing we could be there sooner than you think...

Will be available first at Megacon.

It's Campaign Season...

There are probably hundreds of 'fan campaigns' on the internet, actually, could be thousands. Fans want to express themselves, what they want from their favorite movies, television shows, etc, and what they'd like to see in 'future installments' of those things, hoping that the producers, writers, directors, and the companies which finance these projects will actually listen. Sometimes they actually work.

"Yori Lives" is one of those campaigns, and for all we know it is completely in vain--that they already actually do have plans to return Yori, or Lora to the TRON series. We have no idea, but we hope they're listening. We do know that sometimes the filmmakers do not listen, and they actually arrogantly complain and mock their own audience--their own 'customers,' their own followers, such as the case with George Lucas, who couldn't give a crap what his meal-ticket wants. In this case we're not actually asking for much, but a reasonable and obvious continuation--so long as they've decided to 'continue' that series, which they have.

We're not the only Tron Fans seeking resolutions and continuations, there are other 'campaigns' out there as well.

There are those who want "FLYNN's ARCADE" to remain open, so that those who haven't yet gotten a chance to see it can, and so that those who have can return. Why Disney would be closing this and ElecTRONica is beyond my comprehension at this point, since they have TRON UPRISING coming out, and a possible TRON 3 which everybody, and I mean everybody wants. Tron Fans want their TRON, and it would seem Disney doesn't realize the staying-power of their franchise, they don't seem to realize the enthusiasm of their own fans. Leading of course to these campaigns. Also, there is a campaign to start a "TRON CONVENTION" which I think is also a good idea, it makes sense since TRON LEGACY probably produced a few more million hard-core Tron fans which are just as intent and intense as Star Trek or Star Wars fans. We're out there, in vast numbers and growing, it makes no sense whatsoever simply from a business point of view to ignore it. They're called 'customers' and they're begging you to sell them more stuff... weird that this company which is so intent on getting even richer is ignoring yet another opportunity.

KEEP FLYNN'S ARCADE OPEN PETITION

TRON-CON PETITION

ElecTRONica Gathering

So, if you're a TRON fan, the best thing you can do is be an 'active' User, and take some time, put out some effort, and things can get done. Lend your support to these campaigns, take the effort to simply click things on your screen, expand your TRON support also to:

RAM LIVES

DAN SHORE FANS

You wonder what can you do? How can it be done? Well, nothing will happen if you do nothing. How to get things done can be as simple as doing the following very simple things:

-"Liking" posts on Facebook, a thumbs up on various sites simply isn't enough, also view counts can show activity, the better and more effective thing to do is to "share" links. Many sites offer a simple "share" button to Facebook and other sites. If you don't do this, it won't matter how much you 'like' anything if people don't know it. By simply 'sharing' a link, which is spreading and sending links out there, people will click and your 'like' may increase tenfold. "Share" first, then 'like.'

-Copy and paste links, send links and share links, information remains isolated and null if nobody is searching for it, but sending it out there may interest someone, if people don't KNOW about a petition or site or piece of information, they're not going to sign that petition, nor comment.

-Many articles do not allow links, therefore, you must simply comment using a 'search term.' By tying a simple comment such as "Yori Lives" or "Re-Rezz RAM" or "Save Flynn's Arcade" well, that works, people see it, it's that simple.

-The 'online campaign' is as "TRON" as "TRON" They invented a fictional 'online campaign' for TRON LEGACY, so instead of simply consuming the entertainment, and playing that game, why not do the actual thing? It's time you did. Make "TRON UPRISING" something real by actually participating.

-Share the campaign pics, share the campaign links, and create your own. Pass on the pictures and graphics you see here on this site, put them on your facebook pages, your forums, your tumblrs, contribute to the visibility of the ideas. There is no other way.

-We're obviously not asking for money, and for not much at all, other than active participation, it really is that easy and that simple. By doing something like this, you also participate and practice for when something far more important is at stake, by aquiring these skills, and utilizing the technology you have, you will be able to 'do something' when you truly responsibly should. The same rules apply to any online campaign concept. If you can't 'raise awareness' or participate in an entertainment-campaign, what use are you when something important happens, and when something you absolutely should engage in, such as in the case of any political campaign? Use the tools you have, USER. Use the technology you have, USER, before your ability, and freedom to use it is gone forever. Participate. Spend an extra 10 seconds of your time clicking "share" or posting a link on Twitter, those who do, participate in 'changing the world,' those who don't participate in their own enslavement.

Sign the YORI LIVES PETITION

-Become 'friends' on facebooks pages, or 'like' and subscribe to pages, even if you don't regularly follow them every single day, it is like voting, you're adding yourself to a sum, you're adding yourself to the numbers which people look at and determine opnion-power.

Become Friends with CINDY MORGAN

Like CINDY MORGAN

Become Friends with YORI LIVES

Join the YORI LIVES Facebook Group

By doing this, you get updates on what's going on, and it is essentially like voting, and showing your support, adding yourself to the growing number of visible supporters.

You can contribute by adding links there, to Yori Lives, sending pics of your own creation, or your ideas, or just say "Hi." You can also contribute to this blog, just email yorilives@yahoo.com

TRON is now on Twitter, Let the UPRISING Begin!

Tron is now on Twitter. That's right, Bruce Boxleitner (Alan "T" Bradley to you squares) has signed on and he's been tweeting, and that means he's there to either free Twitter from its evil ways, promote Tron Uprising, or he's just figured out how the internet works. In any case, now couldn't be a better time for Tron to join the social networks and lead the Uprising.

Speaking of Uprisings, the Occupy movement has gotten more accomplished than Disney and their 'Uprising' it would seem. Articles from months ago, which we reported here suggested some kind of release in some kind of form of the cartoon series, TRON UPRISING in January. Nothing of the sort happened at all. We're not the only ones wondering when TRON UPRISING will debut, in whatever form they decide. Across the Web, people are asking, "When is TRON UPRISING" coming out?

Every article that comes out seems to contradict another. It all began of course with their teaser on the DVDs and Blue-ray releases of TRON LEGACY. We heard that it was coming in January of 2012, with 'micro-episodes' on the web. We heard that it was coming in April of 2012. We've heard that it was coming in "Spring of 2012," we've heard that it was premiering in "Summer of 2012," and some articles say "Fall of 2012." One thing is for sure, I don't think anybody has any clue whatsoever when it is coming out at all, at least this very moment--so we wait. Disney has only released a few details, and we have seen very little in the way of marketing. Cindy Morgan posted on her facebook page a link to Albert Mielgo's blog last week, where he displays a high quality scan of the poster which made its way around the web last summer in grainy blurry form. You can check it out in all it's brilliance, and have a look at the art design team. The truth is, this is the first real news flurry about TRON UPRISING in a while. Catsuka.com has an article about Robert Valley, character designer, and since the post about the Art Team, the production staff also seems eager to begin blogging about their work. Here is an early character design for what might be Lance Henriksen's character, General Tesler.

Lance Henriksen who plays 'General Tesler' has briefly spoken about his role at Fearnet.com, saying "I play a big general in it, second in command from the top guy. And of course all megalomaniacs that are power hungry, they want to be on top. That's the character I'm playing. He's a rough guy and a manipulator." He also stated on his Facebook page, "They are letting me try things,really good director ...Tesler is going for the brass ring..." MTV Movies Blog interviewed TRON himself, Bruce Boxleitner, who revealed: "In this story, Tron is a much more battle-hardened warrior than you’ve seen before. It’s like 'The Mask of Zorro' where he’s looking for a young one to train and to have that master-student relationship.” I think that we are all looking forward to seeing (or in this case 'hearing') the return of Bruce Boxleitner as Tron.

We know that Robert Valley worked on Aeon Flux, and all the footage released for TRON UPRISING is most certainly influenced by the style of that original animated series.

We have seen the cast list, we've seen the character's names and we know a little about the plot, but we wonder why there has been so little released from Disney officially about this series. Here is a list of links which will take you to the various videos released:

TRON UPRISING TEASER

TRON UPRISING 2011 COMIC CON PREVIEW

TRON UPRISING TEASER ISOLATED SCORE

DISNEY XD IN 2012 AD with TRON UPRISING

INTERVIEW WITH TRON LEGACY AND TRON UPRISING WRITERS

TRON UPRISING TITLE SEQUENCE

TRON UPRISING stars Elijah Wood, Mandy Moore, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Paul Reubens, Lance Henriksen and Bruce Boxleitner as "Tron." We know that it takes place prior to the film TRON LEGACY, and Fred Tatasciore will voice CLU. (He did the voice of Flynn/Clu in the videogame Tron Evolution.... shocking, an actual crossover!)

The Disney XD Ad reveals new images of characters, but only very briefly and does not tell us when to expect this series. The Comic Con preview isn't so much a real 'preview' as it is a random montage of images with music. The footage in the Disney XD Ad looks a little different than the Teaser. DisFanReview has posted some screenshots. Both have the "Aeon Flux" style characters, but they look a little different. Joseph Trapanese has done some music for Tron Uprising, and from what we can hear, it sounds pretty good.

It has been said that the series will premier with micro-episodes or 'micro-series' which has never been clear, whether it means that the first 10 episodes are merely all there will be until they make more, or that they are merely something like 3-minutes long. Some articles have said that this 'micro-series' will air or be released in April, with the rest of the series in June, while others say a Fall release of the 'regular series.' As we now know, no such 'movie length premiere' happened in January, and I've seen some sites say that the first 10 episodes are 30 minutes in length, and others which say that these 'micro-episodes' (which is how AEON FLUX started) will be first available on the Web. At this point, as we await any actual official press statements or marketing from Disney itself, I'm not sure we can count on April being an absolute, there are so many conflicting articles on the web of TRON UPRISING, until something definitive from an official Disney site such as XD, we cannot say for sure practically anything whatsoever about what is going on with TRON UPRISING.

The "TRON OFFICIAL SITE" has absolutely no mention whatsoever of TRON UPRISING.( if you can even get it to function.) Nobody seems to have a clue what's going on the universe of TRON, and I'm not talking about "Tron 3" and the production status of TV Shows or Movies, I'm not talking about a fan-made site, I'm just talking about disseminating information about the simple products and events your company has regarding a particular brand name that happens to be pretty popular. What they've been doing (or not doing in this case) makes no $ense whatsoever. It makes you wonder.

The fans have been looking forward to something, they've been looking forward to TRON UPRISING because they said they were making it, and they put the teaser-trailer on the DVD. Nobody really has a clue as to what it is, and while everyone awaits a real sequel to TRON LEGACY, they wonder what Disney has really been up to here, why they haven't gotten it together, since it seems since that first COMIC-CON preview of TR2N and the subsequent "ENCOM" event video, and "FLYNN LIVES" campaign which had everyone's attention, the fans wonder, what happened? Were you or were you not 'rebooting' the franchise with TRON LEGACY? If you don't do 'something' soon again, you'll have to 'reboot' it all over again, because you're losing us here. In my mind the idea of 'rebooting' the series would be to bring the brand name back to the forefront, and this time keep it going if it seemed like it made money and garnered interest, well, it did, and we're still interested, and so what are you doing about it, Disney? Closing your ElecTRONica? Closing FLYNN'S ARCADE? While George Freakin Lucas is re-releasing his Star Wars crap all over again, you're closing stuff down as you are about to release a new TRON Product? Who is making the decisions up there? What is going on? This last line is for you, Disney, you invested money in rebooting the thing, it then made you money, what's the deal? Was it all for nothing or something, who could be that dense as to not see what could have been done with its success?

Well, let us hope that they've got this whole new TRON online campaign ready to roll out again, with TRON UPRISING and leading to TRON 3. Let's hope that they've been so busy diligently working on it, and that it is so clever and amazing that they've had to keep it a secret. Let's hope they're paying attention, and let's hope they're finding out from the fans themselves what they want to see, and what they really want next. The only failure in TRON so far is Disney's lack of motivation on doing anything with it again, it took them 25 years to do something with it before, maybe they really are pretty slow on this, after all TRON isn't 'Mickey Mouse,' but then if Disney is out there buying up the Muppets, Marvel Comics and everything else out there under the sun, they most certainly can't have such an isolated attitude that only 'Mickey Mouse' makes the money. We hope they're keeping it under wraps because they've got all sorts of things ready to knock our socks off like they did the last time (with Tron Legacy). Hopefully they'll read this article and get things fired up again, because it's about time they did.